Mining apparatus



March 2 1926.

R. E. MURPHY QMINING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1922 gr EwW T i Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

'uuirso stares RICHARD E. MURPHY, OF CALIFORNIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MINING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD E. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at California, in the county of WVashmgton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to mining apparatus.

It has for its object to provide an improved reeling means for such an apparatus, and more particularly of an apparatus of the type utilizing a flexibly connected or belt driven reel to control the connection of the apparatus to a source of power supply. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved reel mechanism especially adapted to use when the apparatus is moved relative to a trackway, whereby the rate of movement of the reel may be controlled and a graduated tension exerted on the reel belt to produce the desired rate of rotation of the reel irrespective of track conditions. These and other advantages of my improved construction will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, the same being shown for this purpose as applied to use in connection with a power driven mining machine truck.

In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the truclr in transport position upon a track with a min ing machine thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the reel propelling and controlling means, a portion of the reel being broken away to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section one line 33 of- Fig. 2.

In this illustrative construction I have shown a mining machine truck 1 of standard construction mounted on wheels 2 and carrying on a suitable tiltable front portion a mining machine 4: having a gear 5 meshing with a gear 6 on the rear end of the truck and through that gear and cooperating friction controlled truck driving mechanism 7 of a usual type, herein controlled through a friction clutch controlling member 8, driving a sprocket 9 in turn connected through a chain 10 to the truck wheels 2. Operatively connected to the mechanism 7 as in a usual manner is also a pulley 11 cooperatlng with a belt 12 to drive a rearwardly located conductor reel 13 through a cooperating pulley 141 to wind in or out a conductor cable 15, depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor and of the gears 5 and 6. As in a usual construction, a belt tightener 16, herein carrying a roller and pivoted at 17 on the truck frame, also acts to apply tension to the belt 12.

In my improved construction between the truck driving mechanism and the reel I pro vide suitable standards 18 on opposite sides of'the reel, the same herein being connected by a transverse connection 19 and having conductor guides 20 on their upper ends adapted to guide the conductors 21 which extend from the reel to the machine 41. On these standards is also Operatively mounted controlling mechanism for the belt tightener 16, the same including a shaft 22 journaled in the standards and having a handle 23 at one end thereof at one side of one standard and a ratchet sector 2d rotatable with the rod and disposed in the opposite side of the standard from the handle and adapted to cooperate with a pawl 25 suitably pivoted at 26 on the standard. As shown, this rod also carries near its opposite endand between the standards 18, a coiled spring 27 having one end adjustable, as through an adjustable collar fixed as at 28to the rod, and the other end fixed as at 29 to the standard, the action of this spring being normally to rotate the member 22 in a clockwise direction, i. e. to throw the teeth of the ratchet sector 24 into locking engagement with the pawl 25. Operatively connected to the free end of the member 22 and herein on the opposite side of the standard from the spring 27 are also connections leading to the belt tightener, these connections herein including a short arm 30 fixed tothe shaft at one end and at the other end pivotally connected to a longer member or link 31 which is in turn pivoted at 32 to the arm of the belt tightener. Thus it will be noted that the spring 27-constantly tends to raise the belt tightener and cause 7.

the same to tend to assume a floating position upon the belt, this raising movement being counteracted by ratchet and pawl mechanism. Attention is also directed to the fact that by movement of the handle 23 from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, the pivot of the arm 30 to the link 31 is brought in line with the axis of the rod 22 and these elements are brought against a stop 33, the belt tightener, through the alined pivots of the parts, then being held securely in elevated position.

In the operation of my improved mechanism when the machine is moved forward on the track, the handle 23 is thrown from the full line position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position illustrated therein in such a manner as to permit the reel to turn freely and as the apparatus moves along the track cause the cable to be pulled off the reel, the handle 23 being held in this position by the toggle connected parts then in looking position. During this operation and more especially important, during a backward movement of the truck, it will be evident that whenever desired by simply throwing the handle 23 in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 2, the belt tightener vl6 may be lowered in such a manner as to increase the tensionon the belt 12 as desired, and that the parts will be automatically locked in the desired position by the pawl 25, as soon as the handle is released. If, on the contrary, it is desired to relieve the tension without releasing it, this may be accomplished at any time by lifting out the pawl 25 and throwing the handle 23 in the opposite direction to the desired degree and then releasing the pawl which then again automatically locks the parts in position.

As a result of my improvement it is found possible satisfactorily to unreel or reel the cable in rearor in advance, respectively, of the machine as the latter moves about the mine and irrespective of the rate of truck movement. Further, through my improvement it is made possible to meet wet or other track conditions which would otherwise retard truck movement without retarding the movement of the reel. Also it will be evident that it is possible through adjustment of the tightener to control the rate of reel rotation when the truck is standing still. It is further possible for any desired increase of tension to be obtained quickly from the operators station, near the handle 23,

and maintained without requiring the con stant attention of the operator who at certain times, has to have his hands free for other operations. These and other advan tages of my improvement will, however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

hile I have in this application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be und rstood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a mining apparatus having an electric cable reel, driving means for said reel including a flexible connection, a cable support adjacent said reel, and ten sioning' means for said connection carried by said support.

2. In combination, a mining apparatus having an electric cable reel, driving means for said reel including a flexible connection, spaced cable supports adjacent said reel, and means for tensioning said connection including elements carried by said supports at opsite sides of said reel.

3. In combination, a truck, a reel thereon, reel driving mechanism including a belt and pulley connection, a cable guard adjacent said reel, a belt tightener carried on said frame, and operating means for said tightener carried by said cable guard.

4:. In combination, a truck, a reel, reel driving mechanism including a belt and pulley connection at one side of said reel, a cable guard mechanism adjacent said reel, a belt tightener carried on said frame, and operating means for said tightener carried on said cable guard and operative from the opposite side of said reel, said operating mechanism including a toggle connection adjustable to lock said tightener in one position.

5. In combination, an electric cable reel having cable connections at opposite encs thereof, driving means for said reel including a flexible connection, cable supporting means adjacent said reel comprising cable supports at the opposite ends of the reel, and means for tensioning said connection including elements carried by said cable supporting means.

6. In combination, a cable reel, flexible driving means therefor, a tensioning pulley engageable with said flexible driving means, supporting means for said pulley permittingadjustment of the latter, and means for effecting adjustment of said supporting means including a pivoted arm, link means pivotally connected to said arm and supporting means, and means for moving said arm to different positions and holdin'g'it therein, said arm being movable to bring said link means into a position in which the opposite ends of the latter are disposed at opposite sides of the pivotal axis of said arm and in a common plane with said pivotal axis.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RIC-HARD E. MURPHY. 

